Rhode Island DO CME requirements

At a glance: DO (osteopathic physician)

Hours

40 hours every 2 years

Renewal cycle

Every 2 years

Deadline

June 1 of even-numbered years for the renewal application and CME; a registration not renewed by July 1 lapses

Required topics

2

Hours carry over

No

First renewal

Confirm with your Board Neither the statute nor the rule waives or prorates CME for a physician first licensed partway through a two-year period. Confirm with the Board what is expected at your first renewal.

Credit minimum

Section 1.5.5(A): all 40 hours must be AMA PRA Category 1 or AOA Category 1a. The rule names AOA Category 1a only, so AOA Category 1-B does not appear to count.

Reporting

The rule says you document your CME to the Board with the renewal application by submitting a summary list (not the certificates) (216-RICR-40-05-1 section 1.5.5(D)). Keep the documents for three years for review by the Board. Renewal is denied without satisfactory evidence of CME; the Board may grant one six-month extension for hardship (R.I. Gen. Laws 5-37-2.1).

Board

Rhode Island Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline (Rhode Island Department of Health)

R.I. Gen. Laws 5-37-10: physicians register every two years by June 1; the registration runs from July 1 and expires two years later on June 30. A registration not filed by July 1 lapses automatically and needs reinstatement with an extra fee. CME must be earned on or before June 1 of each even-numbered year, covering the preceding two years (R.I. Gen. Laws 5-37-2.1; 216-RICR-40-05-1 section 1.5.5(A)). The next deadline is June 1, 2028.

Deadline

• June 30, 2028

Find your Rhode Island DO deadline and add it to your calendar

Required topics

• Diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with cognitive impairments, including Alzheimer's disease Confirm with your Board1 hour · Once, by October 1, 2023 · Every licensee
  R.I. Gen. Laws 23-1.7-5(a): all physicians must complete a one-time course of at least one hour on the diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with cognitive impairments, including Alzheimer's disease and related disorders, no later than October 1, 2023. The statute does not say when physicians licensed after that date must complete it. A 2026 bill (H 8545) would make the hour recurring (every renewal period as introduced; every other renewal cycle as amended); whether it was enacted could not be confirmed. Confirm with the Board.
• Best practices in opioid prescribing (Schedule II opioid prescribers)8 hours · Once · Only some physicians — see the rule note
  216-RICR-20-20-4 section 4.4(P): any practitioner who prescribes a Schedule II opioid must complete, once, 8 hours of Category 1 CME on appropriate opioid prescribing for pain, pharmacology, adverse events, dependence, tolerance, substance use disorder and alternatives to opioids, before renewal of the controlled substance registration or within two years, whichever is longer. The rule exempts physicians who completed DATA 2000 waiver training and hold an 'X' DEA number; the federal X-waiver ended in 2023, so newer prescribers should plan on the 8 hours.

Credit that counts

• AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™216-RICR-40-05-1 section 1.5.5(A): at least 40 hours of AMA PRA Category 1 Credit or AOA Category 1a credit every two years, for MDs and DOs alike. Participating in an ABMS Maintenance of Certification program counts as meeting the requirement.
• AOA Category 1-ASection 1.5.5(A) names AOA Category 1a. Participating in the AOA's Osteopathic Continuous Certification (OCC) program counts as meeting the requirement.
• AAFP Prescribed credit Confirm with your BoardNot named in the rule, which names AMA PRA Category 1 and AOA Category 1a only. The AMA accepts AAFP Prescribed credit as equivalent to AMA PRA Category 1, but the Board has not said so in writing.